The Real Peaky Blinders: when is new BBC documentary on real life gang behind Cillian Murphy drama on TV?

To tie in with the final series of Peaky Blinders, the BBC have put together a special two-part documentary about the true stories that inspired the television series.

The Real Peaky Blinders will be presented by Professor Carl Chinn, a historian at Birmingham University with particular expertise in local Birmingham gangs.

Here’s everything you need to know about The Real Peaky Blinders.

What is it about?

The Real Peaky Blinders looks at some of the real historical details that inspired the television series, sorting the fact from the fiction and joining the dots between them.

The first episode explores the Peaky Blinders phenomenon in Birmingham, starting with their first mention in the press in the 1890s and tracing that backwards to their origins in the “slogging gangs” of the 1860s.

It’s set to focus on some of the real people who appear in the show – like Billy Kimber, Darby Sabini and Alfie Solomon – as well as the Sheldon crime family, who Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight was both related to and inspired by.

The second episode, meanwhile, will chart the history of the Peaky Blinders as an organised gang – from their rise to prominence in the 1890s to their eventual downfall across the 1910s.

It’s going to look specifically at the 1921 ‘racecourse wars’, when the Peaky Blinders moved into the territory of another gang (gambling on horses) and quickly paid the price.

Who is in it?

The series is presented by Brimingham historian Professor Carl Chinn. An expert in Birmingham history, Chinn already knows a great deal about the real-life gangs that inspired Peaky Blinders.

He’s already written a book about the real Peaky Blinders, which is itself based on his lectures and a Birmingham street tour that he offers.

The Real Peaky Blinders will also include interviews with Steven Knight, the creator of the television series.

When is it on and how can I watch it?

The Real Peaky Blinders documentary is set to air in two parts. The first will air on BBC Two at 9pm on Monday 7 March, with the second to follow the next week on Monday 14 March. Both will be available to watch on iPlayer as well.

It’s set to tie in with the return of Peaky Blinders for series 6, which begins on BBC One and iPlayer on Sunday February 27.

Why should I watch it?

Because it’s set to be an informative look at some of the real history that influenced one of the most popular dramas currently airing, and it’s always really interesting to know more about the fact that inspired the fiction.

A message from the editor:

Thank you for reading. NationalWorld is a new national news brand, produced by a team of journalists, editors, video producers and designers who live and work across the UK. Find out more about who’s who in the team, and our editorial values. We want to start a community among our readers, so please follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and keep the conversation going. You can also sign up to our email newsletters and get a curated selection of our best reads to your inbox every day.